Web links

An Australian man feared lost in the hurricane-devastated US
city of New Orleans has spent the past 11 days in jail.

Tourist Ashley McDonald, of Narre Warren in Melbourne's south east,
was arrested in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit last week
and rode out the storm in the New Orleans Parish Prison.

In the days after the hurricane, Mr McDonald was transferred out of
the city to the maximum-security Elayn Hunt Correctional Centre in
Louisiana.

"It's not the most classy ending, but I'm glad he's safe and sound
and it's over,'' his relieved sister Jasmine Mutnansky told AAP
early today.

Mr McDonald was arrested and charged with criminal trespass on
August 28, Matt Francis, the spokesman at the Australian embassy in
Washington DC, said.

Mr Francis said he did not have any specific details of the crime
Mr McDonald is alleged to have committed.

Police had earlier recovered Mr McDonald's credit cards and
driver's licence in a hotel room in Baton Rouge, but fears for his
safety increased when they were unable to find him.

Prisoners evacuated

An Australian Federal Police officer sent to the region to
search for Mr McDonald today tracked him to the jail.

"Our AFP officer has seen him at the correctional centre and is
discussing with local authorities arrangements for his release,
possibly tomorrow,'' Mr Francis said.

Elayn Hunt Correctional Centre spokeswoman Angela Whittaker said
the evacuation of the New Orleans prison began on August 30, the
day after the hurricane hit, and took four days to complete.

"When the hurricane hit we evacuated New Orleans Parish Prison and
anyone who had been arrested was brought here for processing and
safekeeping,'' she said.

Mr McDonald flew into New Orleans the day before his arrest for the
start of his US holiday.

He had not made contact with his family since arriving in the
city.

Parents' anguish

Mr McDonald's parents Sharon Thomas and Doug McDonald
rushed to the US earlier this week and began unsuccessfully
searching the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, a major hurricane
refugee gathering point.

But the family feared the worst when Mr McDonald's credit cards and
identification were traced to a Louisiana hotel, and Australian and
local police and a consular official were unable to find him
there.

Ms Mutnansky said her parents had given up the search in despair
and decided to fly to Tennessee to be with her and grieve.

"We honestly thought he was dead when they found his credit card
...,'' she said.

"My parents thought there was no point saying in Houston.

"But then a federal police officer called me and said he had
good news - (Ashley) got arrested.

"It's a real happy ending, but it's not a glamorous
ending.''

Ms Mutnansky said she would break the good news to her parents when
they arrived in Tennessee shortly.

Man charged

She believes her brother lost his wallet in a mugging before his
arrest, while police discovered three people at the Baton Rouge
hotel had used Mr McDonald's credit card.

No charges were laid because the three told local police Mr
McDonald had given them his wallet voluntarily while they were
drinking at a bar in Bourbon Road in New Orleans.

Mr McDonald, 30, was the last Australian tourist missing in the
Gulf Coast as a further five Australians who remain unaccounted for
are all long-term New Orleans residents.